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MP Challenges Schools Minister to Make the Rules Fair for Sutton Children
March 1, 2010 12:34 PM
On the day that parents receive the news about which High School their children will attend from September, local MP Paul Burstow will take his campaign for changes to the rules governing school admissions to Schools Minister Vernon Coker (Monday 1st March). Mr Burstow plans to press the Minister to change the rules so that schools can ensure that local children get first choice of local schools
The local MP has already introduced a Private Members Bill aimed at allowing admission authorities, including the Council and individual schools, to take into account the borough boundary when admitting children. This change would mean that children from outside the borough would only get in to the borough's schools if there were spare places.
At the meeting Mr Burstow will press the Schools Minister to make changes to the system governing school admissions. He will call for local Councils to have limited reserve powers to intervene and change school admission rules in the public interest. With 18 different admission authorities in the London Borough of Sutton Mr Burstow will argue that it is hard for parents to navigate through the system to get the best school for their children.
Commenting, Paul Burstow MP said, "Parents are led to believe they have a choice of schools, when all to often they have no choice. This hits hardest in Worcester Park where too many children wind up with none of their choices and end up being forced to attend a school outside the borough. This is not fair.
"I want the Minister to consider allowing admission authorities to start with children within the borough when allocating school places. Of course with the Grammar schools the children must pass the test. If all the High schools operated admission policies that started with local children far fewer children would lose out."
ENDS
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